A Matter Of Time
by icecreamcastles
Summary: A conversation leads to realization when a stranger sits next to River on the train. (one-shot)


**A Matter Of Time**  
**Nine/River**  
**Rated: G**  
**Summary: _A conversation leads to realization when a stranger sits next to River on the train._**  
**Disclaimer: Moffat. Moffat. Moffat.**

River was sitting patiently in her seat waiting for the people to fill into their own. It was one of those days where she was free to do as she pleased. No guns, no aliens – well very nearly no aliens.

A man with a leather jacket approached the seat next to her. He seemed awfully tired as he asked, "Would you mind if I sat next to you miss?"

"Not at all." River smiled. She's fairly sure she notices something different about him as he sits down but looks straight forward.

She takes a chance and attempts at conversation. "So what are you doing taking the tube?" She asks.

"Well my," The Doctor didn't really feel like giving himself away so he searched for a word, "vehicle" he smirked, pleased, "is regenerating itself. Well, sort of."

"Regenerating itself?" River laughed. "You sound like someone I know."

"Is that right?" The Doctor seemed to ease at the sound of her laugh. "Might have to meet this someone you know then."

A comfortable silence fell over them. River could feel the cool material of his jacket against her bare arm; it made her shiver with something rather pleasant brewing underneath her skin.

She debated introducing herself. It's probably not important but finds herself using her real name. "I'm Melody."

The man beside her turns to her, eyes dimmed with some sort of sadness that reaches out to her heart.

"John. John Smith." He smiled a dreary smile.

There was something about this man. This tired soul with a luminous heart showing through all this dark matter surrounding him. She aches for him.

"Well then John, would you like to start at the beginning?" Her smile warm and friendly.

"Am I that transparent?" He huffs.

The more she looks at him the more broken he seems. His short hair makes his big ears look funny in an adorable way, and those blue eyes. Oh, those blue eyes are starting to make her deeply consider moving seats. She is married after all.

"No, sweetie. It's just that I know that look far too intimately." She remembers sadly how her husband wears those same brooding shoulders when his pain and loss slowly crumbles above him.

The Doctor looks over to her open face. A beautiful face, he thinks. So he decides to give himself a bit of an out. His name is John Smith right now, he reminds himself. "You could say I've gotten new skin. Shed my old one. This skin, well it's much darker. I travel a lot. Make a lot of friends on the way but end up losing touch with them sooner or later. So now I'm alone. Just alone."

River finds herself reaching out to take his hand before she knows what she's doing. "You're never truly alone John. You would be surprised to know what's out there." She gives a soft chuckle.

His eyes seem fixed on her hand holding his. When he tightens the grip River's heart leaps. This man she doesn't know is getting to her and it's starting to scare her.

"I assume you have experience with that?" His tone is half-joking.

"Oh, you have no idea." River's voice is low and sultry as she looks into those blue eyes. His blue eyes are so lost, so very much an essence that he in a way has died inside. They are so fierce with their pain and rage that she feels tears starting to gather at the corner of her eyes.

"John, I once was alone. I turned into someone, some_thing, _that hurt so many people. People I loved and cared about. But my mother told me to be brave. As I grew up I was left with one purpose. That purpose was the most heart wrenching thing I've ever gone through. It broke my heart." She paused. John didn't seem to notices. "After all that pain and loneliness I felt that I was doomed to be alone for the rest of my life. But someone came into my life and changed me. That's what people do. People change you but only you get to choose what you will become."

The Doctor smirked, "Melody, you're absolutely right."

River nodded, "Of course I am! I'm brilliant." She allowed a smug chuckle to escape.

The Doctor grinned. "Perhaps someone will come into my life. They have before maybe someone will again. I'm pretty sure I'm not ready for it yet. To be honest I never know if I will be."

"That's the thing John. You don't have to be ready." River smiled.

The speaker above them announced that they had arrived to their destination.

The Doctor looked over to River with longing. Then River's eyes widened. _Doctor_. Her brain ran through what she could remember in her journal and… yes. _Nine_.

"Melody, thank you for your kindness."

The Doctor did something then. He kissed her cheek. She could feel herself blush and chuckled.

"Oh John, it was my pleasure." River looked at her husband. Well, future husband, and he had no idea he was staring at his future wife. That tickled her with amusement.

The Doctor stood and started to walk towards the exit door before turning back with a huge grin. "You know Melody, I need to ask you something."

"Whatever would that be John?"

"Come with me?"

She could see the hope in those stunning blue eyes. It broke her heart once again. She knew what was going to happen. She knew who he would end up meeting next.

"I'm sorry John I can't. I'm headed to meet someone." River winced as his face fell.

"Right. That's fine. It was lovely meeting you. Perhaps we'll meet sometime in the future." The smile he wore was meant to be understanding but it's filled with sorrow.

He turned to leave when River stood and called him back. "John!" He turned his face to look back at her. "Believe me it will all be okay soon. It will be fantastic."

The Doctor gave another attempt at a smile and walked off the train.

River tried not to worry. He'd meet Rose soon enough. And River had other things to think of such as _her_ husband begging in her kitchen to make biscuits and then blowing up the oven. Of all the things a Timelord wants to do baking shouldn't be one of them.


End file.
